Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “gast” come from?

gast (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic gaist, from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- — anger, agitation.

gast (Old English): breath, soul, spirit, ghost, being

Definitions

  1. breath, soul, spirit, ghost, being

Ancestry of “gast”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicgaistghost, spirit
2Proto-Germanicgaistazterror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind
3Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeysd-anger, agitation

Words derived from “gast”

  • ghost
  • ghostlike
  • ghosting
  • ghostwriter
  • ghostwritten
  • gost
  • ghostie
  • ghosty
  • ghostland
  • ghostess
  • ghostbuster
  • ghosthunting
  • ghosthood
  • ghostbusting
  • ghostlore
  • ghostology
  • ghosthunter
  • ghastness
  • ghostfish
  • ghoster
  • ghosthunt
  • unghost
  • ghostling
  • antighost
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- →